Saturday, 31 January 2009

Emma came to see Bonnie this morning, and guess what? I can now start doing some polework and small grids with her. :D

Poor Bonnie had to cope with lots of noise as there were people shooting this morning, but we did some raised trotting poles and a little grid, a pole to a bounce to an upright. I'm going to try to do some jumping with her once each week, as well as continuing to lunge her in the 'half Pessoa' and doing her 'slow trot', spiralling and bending exercises.

Friday, 30 January 2009

I've not been able to go and see Bonnie as much as I planned this week. Monday I was getting my hair done, Wednesday I had to go home to dog walk/babysit and then tonight... well it's Friday, I needed a day off. :P

Went up on Tuesday to ride though, got out of school at 2.30 cos I had a free last, so got there a bit earlier than usual! :) So I took her in the school for a bit. All very exciting, she was in a bit of a loony mood and kept spooking, but I just found it pretty amusing really.

Then yesterday I decided to give myself the afternoon off (naughty me!) and go and see her earlier again, dragged my friend Vicky along for the long walk too! :D She slowed me up a bit, took about 15 mins longer than usual, but it was nice having someone to chat to en route. I just got her and the others in, gave her a quick brush then lunged her for a bit. She was being a bit silly like she was when I rode her on Tuesday, but she soon chilled out. I blame the wind for her loonyness. :)

I'm quite excited for the physio coming tomorrow, I'm hopeful we'll get the go-ahead to start jumping again. I'm well keen for seeing how she's changed. It's not as if she had a bad jump before, so who knows what she'll be like now she's much more able to lift through her back etc.

Saturday, 24 January 2009

I thought I would take Bonnie for another mini-hack to warm up again, seeing as she seemed much more settled in the arena when I did that before. I also thought I would take my camera so I could get a wee bit of footage. So I trotted up the track a bit, set up my camera on a tree (cos I'm cool :D) and then trotted back so she could canter 'away from home'... and so in theory would not be quite so loony.

That theory failed. She started off at a reasonable pace, then just before we got to where the camera was, she just zooooooooooomed. Reminded me of when me and Robyn used to take her and Millie for races up and down Toto's Way! I got it on video and everything, so will probably whack it on the internet for humour value.

When I took her in the arena she still seemed to be a bit in hyper mode, so I had to spend a bit longer just chillaxing her with some transitions and yielding and bending and things. I reeeeeeally love how light in my hand she becomes as she stops rushing and starts carrying herself properly. This is such a novelty for me, not having a leany horse. :)

Poor beastie managed to get herself quite hot and bothered today from her exertions, so I kept her in for a bit longer after I'd ridden with a fleece on until she'd cooled down a bit. So we both listened to Radio 1 for a bit while I cleaned her tack.

I whacked her out in the field just before I left, but she wasn't too keen about being left out on her own. She followed me all the way back down the field then stood looking at me accusingly until I gave her some polos. Mayfly's back from the vets now but she can't go out in the field with Bonnie again for a week or so as she's on hand-walking exercise only. So me poor pony will be on her lazzer for a wee bit longer!

Thursday, 22 January 2009

However frustrated I may get with this horse-ownership lark at times, I love it how Bonnie can cheer me up. :) I was in such a terrible mood today, but going to see her this afternoon well and truly brightened my day. My last lesson got cancelled cos the teacher was ill, so I got to the yard about an hour earlier than I usually do. This meant it was still properly light, so I thought ahh, I shall take Bonnie out of the arena and go on a little mini-hack for a warm up.

The first difficulty we faced was the fact a huge herd of deer was kind of on the track to get out onto the bridleway. Poor Bonzo got a bit scared, and I don't really blame her! She seems a bit more spooky in general these days, I suppose it's because she's just been going round and round in circles in the school for weeks. She's forgotten what the world looks like!

So then we got onto the little track, and I just let her mosey along on a long rein for a bit. But as soon as we got trotting, we were off! I wish she would do such amazing medium trot in the school! She seemed to be pretty excited to be out and about, making lots of noise and splashing through puddles. When we turned round, I made her walk for a bit, just so she doesn't get into the habit of tearing off as soon as we are homeward bound! But then all I had to do was click at her she was in zoom mode, snorting and doing a few little bucks. It makes me smile when she's enjoying herself. :)

So after we'd got that out of our system I took her in the school for 10 minutes or so, to concentrate on her exercises. It makes me laugh how she stretches out and starts making funny noises when I go into 'forward seat' trot! She seems to have properly got the hang of the 'slow trot' on the short sides exercise too, all I have to do is slow my rising and lift my hands and she'll do much shorter slower strides, before really powering forward when I ask her to extend along the long sides. She is also getting better at her spiralling and bending, she's still somewhat reluctant to bend properly to the right, but she's still so much more willing to flex than she used to be.

To finish off, I whacked out my polos and we did some stretches and some yielding and backing up. I was pleased to see that she had actually broken a sweat for once! I finally feel like we're starting to do proper work again. :)

Wednesday, 21 January 2009

I wasn't happy that it was so bloody cold when I went to go and see Bonzo this evening. The walk there warmed me up quite nicely though! It was weird that Mayfly wasn't there to greet me with her wobbly lip when I got there, as she's at the vets at the moment. But I had Bonnie's little 'food face' to occupy myself with. :)

I gave her a lunge this evening. She was a bit full of herself, but I can't really blame her, as I haven't been able to get up to see her and exercise her since Sunday. Monday night I ended up having to do some severe cake-baking (only from those ready made mixes, but hey! :D) and last night I had a lovely 'parent's evening' to get dragged along to, so my poor little horsie has had to take a minor back seat. Ah well, at least she's got some energy out of her system now!

Am going to try and go up to see her a bit earlier tomorrow, as my afternoon chemistry lesson is cancelled, whoo! I may even get to ride in natural light, which would be nice. :)

Saturday, 17 January 2009

I've been a bit slack with the old Bonzo visitation this week, I went to go ride her on Wednesday evening, but I gave myself Thursday and Friday off, cos I'm so lazy. :P

Rode her again today, using my new hat for the first time, whoo! I love the way riding her is becoming less of a chore each time I do. I mean, it's a bit time consuming and tiring having to do the exercises that Emma asked I do, but it's so nice how she's changing and is obviously using herself properly instead of relying on me to 'hold her up'.

I suppose I was just used to how she was before, but now I can really tell the difference in her. Like, downward transitions. She seems so much more willing to do them, and doesn't throw her head up and lean on me like she used to.

All in all... it's all good! Maybe seeing as I'm riding her more regularly now I'll make a video or something to show off my lovely pony. :)

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

But I went to go see her today. I actually had to groom her properly for the first time in what seems like ages! They've been able to be turned out now the weather has decided to sort itself out, and Bonnie had evidently had a good time muddifying herself to make up for being stuck in so long. Ah well, as long as she is happy.

Gave her a lungey this evening. Getting some turnout seems to have chillaxed her nicely, or maybe she has just finally developed a brain, haha. Either way, I enjoyed the fact I could actually get her to walk. Not getting towed about trying to make her stop makes me a happy Phoebe!

I'm debating whether to go visit her during the day tomorrow, before my Biology exam (when I should probably be revising!) and hacking her out in the daylight or whether to just go up and ride her tomorrow evening. Mehh, I'll decide in the morning. :)

Sunday, 11 January 2009

The taps were still frozen this morning though, as they have been for about a week now. At least the arena wasn't all crunchy and hard though, so I could give Bonnie some proper exercise.

Poor beastie has been stuck in for over a week now, they haven't been able to get any turnout because of the ground being frozen and rutted in the fields. So I suppose I can't blame her for being a bit fresh today!

She's getting better at doing the 'slow trot' exercise Emma has asked me to do with her, basically I just have to try and slow her trot down, whilst keeping rhythm and elevation in her steps, to get her to use her back properly. Bonnie would much prefer to rush about everywhere, so this is quite difficult for her but she did it nicely a couple of times.

Hopefully they'll be able to get turnout next week, I think she could do with the extra exercise out in the field. She's getting so fat stuck in her stable eating all day! :D

Thursday, 8 January 2009

Went to go see her yesterday, but I'm gave myself today off as it's my birthday. :) I'm so oldddd.

... and I'm not going to be seeing her tomorrow either as I'm having a bit of an old gathering at my house to celebrate my oldness. Hopefully I won't be too worse for wear on Saturday and will take her for a hack or something.

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

I hate England. So bloody cold! But at least I got the day off school today, ahaha. Happy times.

Went to go see Bonnie for a bit this afternoon, poor beastie's been stood in the last few days because of this silly weather. The taps have been frozen since like Friday as well so I had to spend a while carrying buckets of water from indoors for her. I put a different warmer rug on her this evening too. She has been in just a fleece and a heavyweight full neck rug seeing as she's pretty hairy now her clips grow back, and she wasn't cold or anything, but I felt sorry for her so now she has two heavyweight full necks on one under the other. :)

It's typical really, that when I can finally start riding again, the arena's all frozen! I still managed to do a bit of walk and trot with her in there though. I've started practicing my 'trotting in a forward seat' that the physio has asked me to do with her for the next four weeks. It's bloody hard work! After not riding so long and sitting around eating and drinking over Christmas and New Years my legs and stomach muscles aren't really agreeing with me that 10 minutes of this on each rein are a good idea! Bonnie seems to enjoy this idea, she merrily trots along with her ears pricked as I struggle with my balance.

I started to get the hang of it after a couple of circuits though and I could really feel her springing along with each step as she dropped her head and lifted her back into her movement. It's all very exciting how my little horsie is changing! :)

Saturday, 3 January 2009

Emma the physio came to see Bonnie todayyy. And guess what, I can start riding again! :D

To start with I just walked her up the drive for her to see her movement, and she seemed happy that Bonnie "actually moves like a horse now!". Which has to be a good thing. Then she gave her a massage, and she said she seemed much happier and less stiff through her body, although she did 'discover' an old injury in her chest muscle. It's really weird, if you push into the muscle between her forelegs she's got this little 'hole' with scar tissue around it. Emma thinks she might have stabbed herself on a fence or something when she was younger. But there, then when she asked her to lift through her back she could actually do it, unlike last time where she kinda just scuttled away from her.

So after Bonzo was all chillaxed by her massage, I tacked her up and Emma showed me some ridden exercises. For the next 4 weeks I'm going to be doing alternate lunging and ridden exercises, with the occasional hack in between when I have the time and it's not dark! So I've got lots more to be getting on with now! :D Yay!

Who we are

I'm Phoebe, I'm 16 and am currently in lower sixth and doing my A-levels. I'm a pretty fun-loving person, and I love my horsie dearly. :) Bonnie is an 11 year old, 15.1hh brown mare who I've owned since Easter 2006. Looking back, she probably wasn't ideal first horse material for me, when I first got her she was partial to the odd bucking fit (she bucked off her old owner causing her to break her ankle :S), was very unkeen about the idea of jumping and generally found life all a bit too scary. We've both learnt a lot from each other these past two years, and I hope we'll keep progressing together for many more years to come!